


All I Ask of You

by OPHlDlAN



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mundane!Jace, Roleswap, Shadowhunter!Luke, Shadowhunter!Magnus, Shadowhunter!Simon, Warlock!Alec, Warlock!Isabelle, Warlock!Maryse, Warlock!Max
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-07-28 04:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20057806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OPHlDlAN/pseuds/OPHlDlAN
Summary: Magnus Bane didn’t believe in love at first sight. He barely believed in love itself. But the man, no, thewarlockin front of him could very easily be the thing to change his mind. Pitch black hair stood out in stark contrast to pale skin, hazel eyes boring into what felt like Magnus’ soul. The most impressive aspect of this warlock was easily his mark, though. Raven wings stood tall and mighty at his back, making him look larger than life. This man looked positivelydangerousand yet Magnus felt the need to know him instantly.





	1. September 24th

**Chapter One: September 24th**

Music, pumping through the speakers. The smell of horrible tasting alcohol. The slick of sweat coated bodies hitting one another on the dance floor as drunk, entranced mundanes moved against each other in tandem. All things Magnus would usually enjoy about being inside a club like Pandemonium. But currently, all the smells and sounds of the crowded club was making his job much harder than it needed to be.

Eidolon demons thrived in places like this. The slimy shapeshifters were the bane of Magnus’ existence, constantly slipping away in the guise of a human. Magnus had certainly killed enough of them to recognize the glinting, demonic energy behind the eyes of a seemingly normal mundane to tell them apart now, though.

Magnus Bane’s eyes scanned the open, first floor of the Pandemonium, his Voyance and Farsighted Marks tingling slightly as he tried to discern glamored from unglamored. His body reflexively tensed for battle as another body pressed against him, but the voice that murmured in his ear soothed him instantly.

“Simon’s scaling the perimeter as we speak, I don’t think the Eidolons will be making it out. Have you spotted any yet?” Clarissa Morgenstern’s sweet, soft voice whispered to him, before she stalked her way around Magnus to stand in front of him. With her firey red hair falling on her shoulders all around her, and her green eyes glinting under the multicolored lights, she looked dangerous, like a lion stalking its prey. Clary trained and grew up under the head of the New York Institute, her father, Valentine Morgenstern, and became one of the fiercest fighters The Clave had ever known.

“Patience, biscuit. We’ll get them,” Magnus ruffled the younger girl’s hair with a chuckle, but a flash of movement behind Clary caught his eye. Two ‘mundanes’ split from each other, dashing in opposite directions away from the Shadowhunters. Magnus grinned, pointing Clary in the direction of one as he gave chase after the other.

Running through crowds and crowds of drunken mundanes was somewhat of a challenge, but it would definitely be harder if not for the various runes adorning Magnus’ skin. He quickly broke through the edge of the dancefloor, the chill of the air conditioning prickling his skin. A _kujang_ appeared in the Shadowhunter’s hand as he zeroed in on the Eidolon he was hunting, his boots hitting the floor in heavy, rhythmic _thwacks_ as he ran as fast as he could after the demon. 

Just before he could catch up to his prey, a burst of golden, sparkling magic slammed into the side of it, knocking it to the ground and dispelling the shapeshifting magic that kept it in its mundane form. Magnus skidded to a stop, quickly pulling out a seraph blade to finish the job. After the demon had been dispelled, the Shadowhunter whipped around towards the source of the magic, panting and slick with sweat.

Magnus Bane didn’t believe in love at first sight. He barely believed in love itself. But the man, no, the _warlock_ in front of him could very easily be the thing to change his mind. Pitch black hair stood out in stark contrast to pale skin, hazel eyes boring into what felt like Magnus’ soul. The most impressive aspect of this warlock was easily his mark, though. Raven wings stood tall and mighty at his back, making him look larger than life. This man looked positively _dangerous_ and yet Magnus felt the need to know him instantly.

“Well done,” It took Magnus a second to register the words coming out of the warlock’s mouth, causing the first thing he thought of to come out of his mouth.  
“More like medium rare,” Magnus gave the other man a sly grin, but on the inside he was cursing himself for saying such a stupid thing to such a beautiful man. He felt a little better when the corners of the warlock’s lips curved up into a small smile, though, “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced, Magnus Bane.”

Magnus outstretched his hand, multiple silver rings glinting under the lights, black nail polish perfectly applied, even after the fight. The warlock took the hand offered to him, and instantly warmth rushed through the Shadowhunter. There was something about how his hand fit so perfectly into this stranger’s that made him a little enchanted.

“Alec. Uh, Alec Lightwood,” The enchantment broke very quickly with the words that came out of the warlock’s mouth. Alec wasn’t just any warlock, he was Alexander Lightwood, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He was practically royalty, centuries old and the most powerful warlock in the area.  
“Oh! High Warlock Lightwood, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Somehow, Alec seemed to deflate in front of Magnus’ eyes when his tone changed to a more formal one. Magnus’ throat was still dry from the realization of who exactly he was speaking to, and he couldn’t help but stand a little straighter.  
“Ah, th-there’s no need for formalities like that, you can just call me Alec,” The warlock gave a reassuring smile, and the kindness in his eyes almost knocked Magnus backwards.

The rumors surrounding The High Warlock of Brooklyn were none too friendly. Throughout the Shadowhunters, all that was really known about Alexander Lightwood was that he was harsh, ruling with an iron fist and intolerable of any misdemeanors, no matter how small. He took over as High Warlock around 80 years ago, when his predecessor and mother, Maryse Lightwood, moved to become The High Warlock of Rio de Janeiro, and ever since the amount of dark magic being practiced in New York City dropped suddenly. He was a good but terrifying leader, who had a habit of banishing warlocks who went against him.

Right now though, Magnus couldn’t see that at all. All Alec was in front of him was a man who seemed desperate to not be a leader for once. He looked so, so tired now, the bags under his eyes prevalent and his posture slouching. Magnus took a deep breath, stepping forward and placing a hand gently on Alec’s arm.

“Alright, Alec. That works for me,” He smiled brightly at the warlock, watching the life breathe back into his form. He instantly looked happier.  
“Thank you for that. And uh- Thank you for helping with the demon issue. Disappearing and dying mundanes isn’t great for business,” Alec laughed, and Magnus could see sharp, oversized canines clearly in his mouth which definitely WAS NOT one of the hottest things he’d ever seen-  
“Of course! That is my job you know,” Magnus grinned again, raising a brow, “I didn’t know The High Warlock of Brooklyn owned a club, though. Goes completely against what I’ve heard about you.”  
Alec rolled his eyes, shaking his head with another chuckle, “No, I don’t own the Pandemonium. My younger sister, Isabelle, does. I just help with finances and other areas where she doesn’t exactly have a handle on things yet.”  
“Ah, that makes a lot more sense, no offense but you definitely don’t seem like the club owner type,” Magnus’ heart swelled when he elicited another warm smile from the warlock. He definitely got a sense that Alec didn’t smile as much as he should, and made a resolution to change that if he could.

The conversation got cut too short for Magnus’ liking when two familiar figures ran up to him. Simon and Clary had wide, triumphant grins on their faces, letting Magnus know instantly that their mission had been a success. He couldn’t help but glow with pride at the two younger Shadowhunters, both freshly eighteen and already talented beyond their years. He turned away from Alec to listen to the report the two gave him on the other demon, but when he peeked back to catch another look at the warlock, he was no longer there. To his surprise, disappointment welled up in his stomach, but he easily let Clary drag him towards the building’s exit.

Magnus took one last glance of the club before his companions could drag him out, and he swore he could see a swirl of black feathers and a pale hand waving to him.


	2. October 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec loved the beginning of the fall. He adored the chill of the wind at night, the trees turning orange and red and yellow slowly, and he especially liked the comfortable, soft sweaters that came with colder weather. What Alec did not love, though, was finding a dead(?) Shadowhunter on his doorstep after coming back from a late night walk.

**Chapter Two: October 7th**

Alec loved the beginning of the fall. He adored the chill of the wind at night, the trees turning orange and red and yellow slowly, and he especially liked the comfortable, soft sweaters that came with colder weather. What Alec did not love, though, was finding a dead(?) Shadowhunter on his doorstep after coming back from a late night walk.

The warlock sighed heavily and went to move the body, but realized two things simultaneously. One, he _knew_ this Shadowhunter. He recognized the rings, the now gently smudged eye makeup and the wonderfully done hair from two nights ago in the club. Alec idly wondered how someone could look so put together with obvious demon poisoning. The second thing he realized, which made his entire body tense up, was that this strange Shadowhunter was somehow still alive, definitely not for long, though.  
Alec thought for a minute, before shaking off his surprise and decidedly picking up the wounded man. He realized pretty quickly that Magnus would be quite a weight to carry all the way to the top floor of Alec’s apartment complex with all of the gear he currently had on, and, with a little bit of struggling, he managed to open a portal directly into his living room. With a snap of his fingers, Alec had covered the black, leather couch with towels to keep them from getting ruined, and set the Shadowhunter down. Well, he tried to, but ringed fingers clutched onto his jacket with surprising strength.

“_Tolong bantu aku_,” Magnus’ voice was strained with pain and exhaustion, nothing like the smooth confidence he knew, but Alec could see that while he was awake, his eyes were unseeing, his skin growing more grey over the warm brown it had been the last time they’d seen each other, “_Itu menyakitkan, itu menyakitkan_.”

After getting the words out, the Shadowhunter went completely limp, his breathing growing more ragged and consisting of more wheezing sounds than actual breaths. Alec felt a strange wave of panic crash over him, suddenly unable to breathe himself. He kneeled down, hands shaking as he quickly started to heal the bloodied man before him, pulling out the Raum demon poison as fast as he could.

The words Magnus spoke before he could pass out ran on a loop all night as Alec healed him, whirring around in his mind as he panicked to save this stranger.

_Please help me. It hurts, it hurts._

.

Magnus was dragged out of sleep by sore muscles and a splitting headache that felt as if he was being cleaved in two. As his eyes cracked open, he realized that one, he wasn’t in the Institute, two, he had no idea _where_ he was, and three, he wasn’t wearing the shirt or pants he was wearing last night, and was now in a sweater and sweatpants that were much too big on him. He sat up quickly, and a wave of nausea hit him like a freight train. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from throwing up and ruining the plush carpets of this stranger’s home, and spotted his gear, including his stele on the table. 

After saying a quick thank you to the Angel, Magnus swiped his stele over his Iratze Rune to rid himself of the splitting headache and armed himself with a dagger before creeping through the apartment, attempting to find whoever had taken him in. The sound of music and crackling oil in a pan emanated from the kitchen, drawing him to the door.

_I had a thought, dear_  
_However scary_  
_About that night_  
_The bugs and the dirt_

_Why were you digging?_  
_What did you bury?_  
_Before those hands pulled me_  
_From the earth?_

Peeking in, Magnus could see familiar black wings and the height of a certain someone he was hoping to see again. Alec Lightwood stood in front of him, back turned to the door as he cooked something up on the stove top. The Shadowhunter sighed softly and happily, settling in and leaning against the door frame as he watched. 

Alec was singing along to the music playing throughout the kitchen, his voice a little flat and out of tune, but Magnus found it positively adorable. His dark hair was tousled in a way that framed his face very nicely, and while previously he had thought Alec’s hair was just black, he could now see hints of lighter, golden brown due to the sunlight pouring in through the open kitchen window. His wings were relaxed, falling downwards in a comfortable position, a stark contrast from the high, intimidating pose they were in during their brief meeting in Pandemonium. The thing that made Magnus finally break his silent (kind of creepy) staring was when Alec Lightwood, High Warlock of Brooklyn, started swaying his hips and dancing along to whatever song played next as he cooked.

“Those are some lovely moves you’ve got there, Alexander,” Magnus purred at the warlock, grinning wide when he jumped and turned towards him, his pale face now flushed a bright pink.  
“H-How long have you been standing there?” Alec tried to feign an angry tone, but he seemed more embarrassed than anything, making Magnus laugh.  
“Not long, just enough to hear your wonderful singing and see you dance a little, I promise I wasn’t spying on you too much,” The Shadowhunter could hear the affectionate tone of his voice, and felt a tad embarrassed himself. He had no idea why this warlock had such an affect on him, and frankly, it was a bit confusing. Magnus shook off the feelings and sauntered over, peeking around the other man to see what he was making, “Breakfast?”  
“It’s uh…. French toast. It’s one of the only things I know how to make,” Alec still seemed a little embarrassed, but was relaxing by the second, smiling warmly now.  
“Ooh, careful Alexander, a man could get used to this kind of treatment,” Magnus grinned again at how Alec flushed dark pink again at the use of his full name. Before he could say anything about it, though, Magnus cut him off, “Why didn’t you just conjure up food, or whatever you warlocks do usually?”  
Alec turned back to the food, suddenly seeming more embarrassed than ever, before speaking, “I um, I drained my magic pretty bad last night healing you. So I thought I’d just make some food so I don’t overextend myself.”  
Magnus stared for a moment, genuinely touched, but what left his mouth definitely did not portray how he was feeling, “Aw Alexander, I’m touched, I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me,” A sly grin snuck onto his face, and he couldn’t help but lean up and press a quick kiss to Alec’s cheek.

The warlock made a strange, kind of strangled sound as the perpetual flush on his face darkened and spread to the tips of his ears. Magnus beamed, satisfied with the response, before slinking off to the living room again to set down his dagger and stele with the rest of his gear. After doing so, he shrugged off the shirt Alec had presumably conjured onto him to check on the various bandages wrapped around his torso and arms. He flinched a little as he started to pull them off, reaching for his stele to etch a couple Iratzes into his skin. Behind him, he heard Alec walk in and gasp, before the sound of feet hurrying towards him, finally making him turn around. Alec set down the tray of food in his hands on the coffee table before grabbing Magnus’ hand that held his stele, pulling it away with a frustrated expression on his face.

“Magnus, you can’t heal this with an Iratze or two. You have to keep the bandages on and let them heal naturally. Wounds from Raum demons aren’t something to brush off,” The warlock’s voice sounded a tad panicked, his worry breaking through the faux anger on his face. After making sure Magnus wouldn’t grab his stele and go back to what he was doing, Alec briskly crossed to the other side of the room to grab a box of first aid supplies Magnus hadn’t seen before.  
“Ah I…. I’m sorry I’m not used to being taken care of like this,” The Shadowhunter felt his face heat up and looked down quickly before Alec could see him blushing. He sat down onto the leather couch he’d woken up on, still slightly stunned.

And then suddenly Alec was in front of him, close enough that Magnus felt the air leave his lungs. He knew the other man was only this close to re-bandage him, but the moment felt so intimate, with walls closing around them. Magnus felt as if he and Alec were the only people in the world, just in this instant, as he looked down at the warlock’s face. Alec had incredibly long eyelashes, and they fluttered against his high cheekbones as he worked, his hands deftly moving the bandages over Magnus’ wounds. 

Magnus was definitively brought out of his trance by Alec prodding a tad too hard, a hissing sound escaping his lips before he could hold it back. The warlock looked up at him in alarm, his wide hazel eyes so full of caring and worry that Magnus could hardly breath again. He cracked a reassuring smile, shaking his head and gesturing for Alec to continue. He gave Magnus one last, worried look before returning to his work, and Magnus forced himself to look up at the ceiling instead of at the face of the alarmingly beautiful man in front of him.

“_I have to get out of here, as soon as possible_,” The Shadowhunter thought to himself, sneaking a peek down at Alec when his hands finally pulled away, the triumphant smile on his face tugging at something in Magnus’ heart.  
“Okay, now that that’s taken care of, you’re staying for breakfast at the very least,” Alec turned his smile on Magnus’ face, before standing up, grabbing the tray he’d brought in earlier and setting it in the Shadowhunter’s lap.  
“That sounds lovely, Alexander,” Magnus returned the smile as the warlock turned away and walked back into the kitchen, presumably to get his own food. He moved his gaze to the tray on his lap, his eyes focusing on the small vase in the corner. There was a purple rose in the center of a couple sprigs of lilac. The corners of the Shadowhunter’s lips turned up into an affectionate smile, but the thought that went through his head was simply, “_Shit_.”

.

After breakfast, Alec had practically shoved the shirt back onto Magnus, claiming the clothes he was wearing the previous night had basically been destroyed to the point where they were unwearable. With much prodding from Magnus, Alec had eventually given him his number so Magnus could text him about returning the clothes at a later date. 

The Shadowhunter was currently strapping his weapons belt awkwardly around the oversized sweater and sweatpants as he got ready to leave. What he wasn’t expecting was to see Alec shrugging on a leather jacket over his t-shirt, obviously getting ready to leave.

“Well where are you heading off to, Alexander?” Magnus cocked an eyebrow, slipping into his boots, which were rather disgustingly still a tad slimy with ichor and blood. He made a face, but laced them up anyways. He couldn’t help but think about how ridiculous he must look right now with his boots and weaponry paired with oversized pajamas.  
“I’m walking you back to the Institute. I still don’t have enough magic to open you a portal back, but I’m not sending you throughout the city when you almost died last night, that would be careless,” Alec shot him a small smile, heading for the front door.  
Catching up to him, Magnus wiggled his eyebrows, a smirk on his face while he spoke, “What, are you gonna kiss me on the doorstep too?” He giggled lightly at the flush of red that appeared on the warlock’s face once again. Seeing someone so obviously powerful get so flustered by his words sent a flood of warmth through Magnus, making him smile fondly up at Alec.

Alec made a noncommittal noise and gently pulled him out the door, and once they were out of the building he raised a hand, and Magnus could just barely see the shimmery gold magic fly up and around the building, signalling his wards were up. And then the pair were walking through New York, leaves falling all around them in the late afternoon sunlight. Almost instinctively, Magnus wrapped his arm around Alec’s, leaning against him slightly as they walked. If the warlock was unhappy with the development, he didn’t say anything, instead just walking in silence. 

It didn’t take nearly as long as Magnus had expected for the pair to arrive in front of the New York Institute, in under an hour they were walking up one of the winding paths towards the steps of the building. The Shadowhunter once again felt the strange sense of disappointment he’d felt in the club when he realized their time together was coming to an end. As they neared the steps, the two slowed to a stop, Magnus turning to face Alec with a smile on his face.

“Well, Alexander, I suppose this is where we part ways,” Magnus desperately hoped Alec couldn’t hear the disappointment in his voice, and tried to cover it by widening his smile, “I have half a mind to keep this sweater, it’s rather comfortable.”  
The warlock chuckled, shaking his head, “By all means, go ahead. It looks better on you than I. I would like my sweatpants back, though.”

Magnus opened his mouth to speak, but almost on cue, the doors to the Institute slammed open, and a familiar voice rang through the air, filling the Shadowhunter with absolute dread.

“_Magnus Bane_, where the hell have you been?” Magnus’ parabatai, Catarina Loss, looked down on him and Alec with enough rage to make demons faint, and Magnus felt Alec shrink away from him, just barely.  
“Ah, hello Cat, I’ll be with you in just a moment,” Magnus turned back to Alec, a small smile on his face, before he leaned up to kiss the warlock’s cheek again. “Goodbye, Alexander.”

Alec gave him an embarrassed smile before turning and walking back the way they came, and Magnus couldn’t help but watch him go, positive his face was pathetically lovesick. He was quickly snapped out of it by his parabatai punching his arm and dragging him inside.

“Ow! Cat, be gentle with me! I almost died!” The Shadowhunter knew he was being overly dramatic, as he felt almost good as new due to Alec’s magic, but he didn’t want to deal with a lecture, he just wanted to go to his room and think about his newfound crush.  
“And _you_ scared me half to death! You disappeared for almost 24 hours with no warning, and then you show up like nothing’s wrong with some strange warlock!” By now, Catarina’s voice was ringing through the Ops Centre, attracting some looks from the Shadowhunters scattered around the room, “You are going to give me some answers!”  
“He-He’s not just _some strange warlock_ Cat!” Magnus now took the lead, dragging his parabatai out of the Ops Centre and towards his room. Once the door was safely shut behind them, he finally turned towards her, his face flushed an embarrassing shade of red and his voice strained into a sharp hiss, “That was Alec fucking Lightwood.”  
Catarina’s angry glare dropped, and she suddenly looked more stunned and curious than anything else. Pulling Magnus to sit down on the bed next to her, she put her hands on his shoulders, her eyes wide as saucers, “Tell me _everything_. Right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I may have gotten a little excited. I had chapter 2 done and I was DYING to post it, so, I might be doing uploads Wednesdays and Fridays instead of just Wednesdays! Happy reading!
> 
> (P.S. look up the meaning of purple roses paired with lilac)


	3. October 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec Lightwood was panicking. He hadn’t seen Magnus since the morning after he’d saved the Shadowhunter’s life, and the impression he’d left on Alec was definitely lasting. He couldn’t get through the day without distracting himself over remembering how Magnus’ lips felt on his cheek or how his laugh sounded or what his smile looked like. Making potions and such was useless, his feelings muddling up any effects with warm affection. And now he’d have to try and get through another confrontation with the man who was completely mixing up and confusing his feelings. It was terrifying.

**Chapter Three: October 10th**

Whenever Magnus was in the kitchen, music was blasting, the melodies leaking out into the rest of the Institute, accompanied by him singing loudly. And it had definitely gotten worse the past couple days, the usual high energy songs slowly being replaced by slow love songs, and his singing and humming had even come out of the kitchen. The Shadowhunter could be heard humming and singing quietly all throughout the Institute, a dreamy look on his face.

Currently, Magnus was baking chocolate chip cookies. He’d gotten the idea earlier in the day to make cookies for a certain warlock as thanks for saving his life, and had quickly gathered the ingredients. Before he’d started, though, he’d texted Alec for the first time, a giddy sort of high muddling his head. Ridiculous.

**To: Alexander <3**  
Hello, Alexander! It’s the gorgeously handsome Shadowhunter whose life you so graciously saved the other day!  
I was just wondering, what’s your favorite kind of cookie? 

He had then spent an embarrassingly long time sitting on a stool in the kitchen, hunched over his phone and waiting for a response. Just as he had gotten up to start putting the ingredients away, a bit defeated, his phone buzzed. He most certainly did not run back to it and pull up the message as quickly as he could.

**From: Alexander <3**  
Hello, Magnus. Sorry for the late reply, I was in a meeting.  
I guess I’m pretty boring, my favorite is chocolate chip. Why do you ask?

**To: Alexander <3**  
No reason, I was just wondering. Are you available at all today for me to bring you your sweatpants back?

**From: Alexander <3**  
Oh, I should be free for the rest of the day unless something urgent comes up. That meeting was the only thing planned.

**To: Alexander <3**  
Alright! I’ll let you know when I’m on my way over. See you soon, Alexander <3

Magnus set to making the cookies, turning on a song off an embarrassing playlist he’d made in the past couple days. The playlist, titled “Roses and Lilac,” was entirely compiled of various love songs that reminded Magnus of Alec, even in the slightest ways. Was he being entirely ridiculous? Yes. Did he care? Not right now.

_Shackled to the back of your headboard,_   
_Hoping you would fall down into me,_   
_Crash into me._   
_Won’t you love me now?_   
_Fucking love me now._   
_It’s all broken, unspoken,_   
_Just breathe me in, taste me on your lips._   
_You can let me go, if you need to let me go._

.

Alec Lightwood was panicking. He hadn’t seen Magnus since the morning after he’d saved the Shadowhunter’s life, and the impression he’d left on Alec was definitely lasting. He couldn’t get through the day without distracting himself over remembering how Magnus’ lips felt on his cheek or how his laugh sounded or what his smile looked like. Making potions and such was useless, his feelings muddling up any effects with warm affection. And now he’d have to try and get through another confrontation with the man who was completely mixing up and confusing his feelings. It was terrifying.

Before he knew it, Alec was cleaning up his apartment, making sure it was impeccable, lighting candles with a snap of his fingers, and even changing his outfit a couple times, making sure he didn’t look as ridiculous as he felt. He checked his hair and final outfit in the mirror at least six or seven times, his heart racing. The High Warlock of Brooklyn suddenly felt very vulnerable and like a mundane teenager with a crush. Alec wasn’t sure if he liked it.

Soon enough, a knock came at his door, short and simple, but Alec knew immediately who it was. He took a quick moment to compose himself, taking deep breaths and running a hand through his hair one last time before striding over to the door and opening it with a (hopefully) confident smile.

His jaw immediately drops open, rendered completely speechless for a completely laughable reason. Magnus Bane was standing in front of him, just as he knew he would be, looking absolutely beautiful. His hair was spiked up into a tall mohawk, a couple strands in the front bleached to a platinum blonde, eyeliner applied impeccably around warm brown eyes, and worst of all, he was wearing the sweater Alec gave him. And the wide smirk on his face made Alec realize he knew exactly what he was doing. 

“Well, aren’t you going to invite me in, darling?” The warlock felt his brain short circuit at the use of the petname, but managed to move to the side, opening the door wide to let the Shadowhunter in. Said Shadowhunter then, of course, leaned up to kiss Alec’s cheek. A rush of warmth went through Alec then, realizing just memories of that feeling would never live up to the actual action.  
“I uh- uhm..” Alec trailed off, before clearing his voice and attempting to collect himself, “It’s good to see you again, Magnus.”  
“Are you always this formal on dates Alexander?” Magnus laughed at the bug-eyed look Alec instantly gave him, shaking his head, “I’m kidding, for the most part. But relax, we’re practically friends by now, no need to be so formal.”  
Alec cleared his throat, cursing the warmth that had spread all over his face and to the tips of his ears before speaking again, “Ah, sorry, it’s a, um, habit.”  
There was enough fondness in Magnus’ eyes as they looked at each other to make Alec feel as if he couldn’t breath, all of the oxygen sucked out of the room with walls closing in around them. He was pulled back to reality by the Shadowhunter’s smooth voice, his hands holding out the sweatpants and a box Alec hadn’t noticed before, “Cookies. I baked them from scratch.”  
“I knew you didn’t ask that question for no reason. Thank you, Magnus,” Alec smiles and took the box and sweatpants, and with a snap the pants were gone and the box was open on the coffee table, two glasses of milk sat beside it. He took a deep breath, trying immensely to sound smooth and confident, “If this is supposed to be a date, then would you join me?”  
Magnus’ smile turned into a wide, beaming grin, his cheeks a little flushed now too, “I would absolutely love to, Alexander,” He held out his hand, obviously expecting Alec to take it.

The warlock hesitated for a second, but then slid his hand into Magnus’, warmth rushing through his body from the contact. He let himself be pulled over towards the couch, a somewhat dazed smile on his face. The flush persisted on his face, and he was sure he looked a bit like a tomato. But if Magnus minded, he certainly didn’t show it. The Shadowhunter repeatedly peeked at Alec, each time his own face flushing a little deeper, the smile on his face never going away.

Once the two sat down, Magnus plucked two cookies out of the box and handed one to Alec, his expression turning to one of pride and triumph, “These are easily the best cookies I’ve ever made. Even Cat likes them, and she’s impossible to please.”  
Alec thought back to the angry Shadowhunter he’d encountered the last time he’d seen Magnus and shivered, “She’s terrifying.”  
Magnus laughed, and the sound made Alec’s heart clench tight in his chest, subconsciously grinning wide at him. The Shadowhunter shook his head, shrugging, “She definitely is. She’s the best parabatai I could ever ask for.”  
Alec thought back to when he’d healed Magnus, vaguely remembering the rune that curled under his collarbone and nodded, “I didn’t realize she was your parabatai, but I suppose I should have. She seemed incredibly worried about you.”  
The other man smiled fondly, a far-off look in his eyes as he thought about Cat, “She’s been there for me through absolutely everything. I felt bad for worrying her but….” Magnus’ eyes slid over to Alec, languidly looking him up and down in a way that sent a shiver down his spine, “I can’t find it in me to regret it.”

Alec found himself, once again, out of breath and confused, and he didn’t exactly complain when the two fell into silence, Magnus moving just slightly on the couch so that the two were touching. The warlock found himself just wanting to pull the other man close and hold him in his arms. He wondered what Magnus’ reaction would be if he did manage to do that. He’d probably say some stupid innuendo and embarrass Alec all over again.

“Penny for your thoughts?” The smooth, velvety voice Alec has grown to love hearing pulled him from his contemplations, making his cheeks flare up red again.  
“Ah- nothing. Nothing important,” Magnus looked incredibly suspicious, even more so when Alec tried to give him a reassuring smile.

Alec didn’t even get to try and explain himself before his glass was on the table and his back was against the sofa, Magnus suddenly hovering above him. His usually warm and kind brown eyes filled with a sort of intensity that made Alec feel a little bit like prey. He couldn’t even manage to push Magnus off of him, his heart pounding in his ears and the only thought running through his head was to surge up and press his lips to the Shadowhunter’s.

Just as he was about to give into impulse, Magnus leaned down, disappointingly whispering in his ear, “I don’t like being lied to, Alexander,” The tone in his voice stirring something in Alec’s gut. But then Magnus was sitting up straight again, reaching for another cookie and the glass of milk he’d abandoned.

The back and forth of the situation almost gave Alec whiplash as he sat back up, feeling as if he was in a haze as he adjusted his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. Magnus was such a zero-to-one-hundred in a snap kind of person, and it was so incredibly new for Alec. This new wasn’t exactly bad, though, just confusing and almost exhilarating. 

Something about the event that had just unfolded sent a wave of confidence through the warlock, and determined, he slid his arm around the Shadowhunters waist, pulling him against his side and leaving his hand resting basically on Magnus’ thigh. The other man stiffened a bit, but once he realized what was going on he melted into Alec’s touch, a wide, sly grin spreading across his face. 

And there they sat together in a comfortable silence, eating the cookies Magnus made and just enjoying each other’s presence. After all of the cookies were gone and the milk had been drank, the Shadowhunter eagerly turned to face Alec, slinging his legs over the warlock’s lap. He seemed as if he never wanted to stop touching Alec, who didn’t exactly mind it.

“So, if this is in fact a date, we should be getting to know each other right? Tell me about yourself, your hobbies and family and stuff,” Magnus grinned wide, poking Alec’s side playfully, his smile getting bigger when Alec chuckled.  
“Well, my work takes up most of my time, so I don’t really have many hobbies I guess,” The warlock shrugged, leaning his head back against the top of the couch, “I like the cook when I can, not that I know how to make much.”  
“I will say, the french toast you made the other was delectable, so maybe you just need to find time to learn how to make more dishes. I can always help, I’ve been told I’m a wonderful chef,” Magnus smiled again, fond and loving, making Alec flush lightly.  
“Is there anything you aren’t good at?” The words spilled out of Alec’s mouth before he could hold them back, making himself blush even deeper. What made him smirk, though, was that he managed to make Magnus speechless, his own face a crimson red now.  
Alec could see him trying to recover, clearing his throat and letting a smile slide back onto his face, “I don’t know, so far I’m all around pretty amazing.”  
Alec laughed, instinctively reaching down and grabbing Magnus’ hand, grinning over at him. No matter how embarrassed he got around Magnus, he always felt at ease. He’d never felt like this before with anyone, let alone this quickly. It made him feel like everything was moving way too quickly, but he couldn’t find it in himself to mind too much.

“So, enough about hobbies since you’re apparently a boring old man who only works,” Magnus teased, shaking his head playfully, “Tell me about your family, I’m curious about the infamous Lightwood clan.”  
Alec nodded, thinking about his little family, “Well, you know of my mother, Maryse, who was the High Warlock before me here, and Izzy the club owner. My mother found and took me in as a young warlock who didn’t know what he was until wings started ripping from his back,” He smiled wryly, rubbing his shoulder with his free hand at the thought, “It was Italy, 1653, I was 9 at the time. When young warlocks panic, magic spills out. She found me in the middle of my burned down village, no survivors aside from me,” Alec heard the small gasp that came out of Magnus’ mouth, and shook his head, “It was a long time ago, I barely remember what happened. But she took me in, cared for me as my wings continued to grow, and taught me how to control my magic. She’d always wanted children, but unfortunately, warlocks are completely sterile. She always says my siblings and I are her greatest blessing. About 70 years later, she found Izzy, another panicking warlock off the coast of Mexico in a tsunami of her own creation. We grew up together, constantly bickering and getting under each other’s skin. I love her, though, she’s been there for me in times where I’ve needed her most. And just a hundred years ago, she found baby Max, in a similar situation. And more recently, mainly on my account, we took in a mundane, Jace. I found him when he was just a scared, orphaned child, and, wanting to be like my mother, I took him and and raised him. He’s become more of an annoying younger brother over the last decade or so, though. So there you have it, the Lightwoods.”  
Magnus was silent for a moment, taking in all of the information that Alec had told him. He nodded, taking a deep breath before speaking, “My mother never wanted to be a Shadowhunter, and as a result, she tried to run off and escape the lifestyle when she became pregnant with me. We lived in Jakarta until I was about 6, with a man my mother met and married. We were happy, and I was completely oblivious. I had the Sight, even as a young child, but my mother convinced me I just had an active imagination. Unfortunately, the Sight came with seeing seeing the demons that killed my parents. Soon after it happened, Shadowhunters from the Jakarta Institute found me and brought me back, back into the life my mother so desperately tried to escape. I lived and trained there until I was about 13, before they sent me to the Madrid Institute to train. I met Catarina there, and our close friend Ragnor. We all trained together until we were 18, and Cat and I went to the New York Institute while Ragnore decided to go back to London, where he’s from originally. I’ve been here ever for 6 years now,” At the look Alec gave him, Magnus rolled his eyes, “What? If you’re gonna spill your entire backstory, I should be able to as well.”  
Alec snorted, shaking his head, “I guess you’re right. We’re both just a couple of disasters with tragic backgrounds, huh?”

Magnus started laughing, then, and the way it rung out made Alec’s whole body turn warm, a content smile creeping onto his face before he started laughing too. They sat there for a couple minutes, just laughing together, their hands still intertwined in Magnus’ lap, and the entire situation gave Alec hope. Hope for a future just like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be honest, I almost forgot to post this today, that's why it's so late....  
I hope this chapter clears up some questions I know people had about Alec's backstory especially! Thank you for reading!


	4. October 26th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks had passed since Magnus and Alec’s ‘first date,’ and Magnus found himself at Alec’s apartment every other night since. Catarina was growing increasingly angry with him for not being at the Institute half the time, but Simon and Clary had very clearly given their opinions that he should definitely ‘get it.’ Simon, at least, endorsed their relationship so much, that currently Magnus was walking to Alec’s apartment with a flyer in his hand, promoting Simon’s gig at a Shadow World bar called The Hunter’s Moon. Him and Clary had basically forced the flyer on him, begging him to finally ‘ask the sexy warlock on a date and get it over with already.’

**Chapter Four: October 26th**

Two weeks had passed since Magnus and Alec’s ‘first date,’ and Magnus found himself at Alec’s apartment every other night since. Catarina was growing increasingly angry with him for not being at the Institute half the time, but Simon and Clary had very clearly given their opinions that he should definitely ‘get it.’ Simon, at least, endorsed their relationship so much, that currently Magnus was walking to Alec’s apartment with a flyer in his hand, promoting Simon’s gig at a Shadow World bar called The Hunter’s Moon. Him and Clary had basically forced the flyer on him, begging him to finally ‘ask the sexy warlock on a date and get it over with already.’

For some reason, the prospect of asking Alec on an actual date made Magnus’ heart pound, the nerves rooting themselves deep in his mind. He knew Alec at the very least liked to be around him, and they were constantly touching in some way, cuddling or holding hands or the like, but something in the back of Magnus’ mind was worried about ruining what they had by asking for it to change.

Before he knew it, Magnus was at the door to Alec’s apartment, the wards easily letting him in. He didn’t know if he’d ever get used to the tingle of the warlock’s warm magic washing over him as he went through the protective ward. He took a deep breath before lifting his free hand and knocking, and as usual Alec opened the door almost immediately after, a smile on his face. He leaned down, and Magnus kissed his cheek, which was suddenly a habit they’d made in the short time they’d started seeing each other, and the Shadowhunter walked in, still a little jittery.

The nerves were finally too bad, and he swung around, shoving the flyer out towards Alec, his face beet red, “So! Simon is playing a show on the 30th at The Hunter’s Moon, since they’re closed on Halloween and Shadowhunters all have to patrol that night anyways, and I was wondering if you’d go,” Magnus rushed the words out, barely understandable, “W-With me.”  
Alec was silent for a moment, a mask of shock covering his face. He seemed to recover and process the request quickly though, the bright, beaming grin Magnus loved to see slipping onto his face, “I’d love that, Magnus.”  
The relief rushed through the Shadowhunter, and his body finally relaxed for the first time since he’d left for Alec’s. He reflexively wrapped his arms around the warlock’s neck, kissing his cheek again and hugging him tight, butterflies erupting in his stomach when arms wrapped around his waist, “I’m so glad, Alexander. I’ve gotta be honest though, you scared me for a minute there,” He pulled back just enough to pout at Alec and admire the smile on his face.   
“Ah, sorry about that, I was a little shocked that you asked me, and I guess that caused the hesitation. My apologies.”

Almost at the same time, the two realized how close their faces were. There were barely inches between them, and Magnus could feel Alec’s breath on his face, which had suddenly hitched. The Shadowhunter let his eyes trail down the other man’s face, resting on his lips, before flicking them back up to the warm hazel eyes, framed by long, dark lashes. The flush that creeped across Alec’s cheeks made Magnus’ breath hitch this time, and he finally surged forward, his lips almost touching Alec’s-

“ALEC!” An unfamiliar voice, accompanied by the front door slamming open made the pair spring apart, both flushed dark red with sheepish, embarrassed looks on their faces. The voice belonged to a mundane, a stocky man with blonde hair and blue and brown eyes. Another time, maybe, Magnus would’ve noticed how handsome he was, but the embarrassment overtook anything else, making him never want to see this man again.  
“By Lilith, Jace, how many times have I told you to fucking knock before you barge into my home?” Alec pinched the bridge of his nose, an angry expression on his face, which retained its cherry red color.  
The man, who Magnus now realized was the infamous Jace Lightwood, the mundane Alec took in and now treated like a brother, shook his head, “Whatever, next time I will. It’s not like you’re doing anything right now.”  
Alec looked over at Magnus, a confused look on his face, and at that moment the Shadowhunter remembered the Glamor rune he hadn’t deactivated after arriving at Alec’s. With a small ‘oops,’ Magnus used his stele to deactivate his rune, sheepishly waving at Jace once he could be seen.  
Jace’s mouth dropped open, recognition filling his face as he took in Magnus’ runed form before swiveling his head to look at Alec. And then suddenly he was clapping the warlock’s shoulder, a laugh of triumph bursting from his mouth, “So you finally did it! Good on you, old man!”  
Alec flushed ever darker, punching Jace in the shoulder with a quiet hiss to shut up. The mundane laughed, shaking his head and backing away from the taller man.   
Magnus raised a hand, covering a laugh. He couldn’t help but admire the relationship the two had, and he noted something Jace said, “So, what did he finally do?”   
Alec tried so very hard to stop his brother from speaking, but Jace’s talent seemed to be embarrassing the warlock, “He’s been pining about you for weeks now, and Izzy and I have been trying to get him to make a move just as long. Seems like he finally did it!”  
Magnus peeked over at Alec’s resigned face, giggling a little at his obvious embarrassment. He stepped closer to the other man and kissed his cheek, “I think that’s incredibly sweet. Too bad I had to be the one to ask you on a real date _and_ try to kiss you.”

Alec erupted into protest and Jace immediately started laughing, making Magnus laugh as well. At the warlock’s continued objections, the Shadowhunter looped his arm around his waist and pulled him closer, smiling up at him.

“Don’t worry darling, I love it,” He kissed Alec’s shoulder, ignoring the gagging sound Jace made behind him. Alec leaned down and kissed the top of his head, the corners of his lips pulling up into a small smile.  
“Now that _that’s_ sorted out,” Alec then turned a furious glare onto his brother, “Why exactly did you feel the need to barge into my apartment, aside from the want to embarrass me?”  
Jace seemed to remember all at once, his eyes going as big as saucers, “Oh, oh yeah. Uh Izzy told me to tell you that Mom and Max are coming to visit for the next couple days. To uh, see how everything’s going.”  
Magnus could feel Alec stiffen up beside him, and looked up at him, worried. The warlock’s face was now made of stone, a stoic, untelling expression on his face, “Alexander, are you alright?”

Alec took a deep breath, and, without saying anything, shoved Jace right out the door and closed it behind him. Magnus could just barely hear the click of the lock shutting before Alec leaned up against the door, a hand running through his hair. Suddenly, he looked incredibly vulnerable, scared, even.

As soon as he met Magnus’ gaze, the Shadowhunter was by his side, gently pulling him towards the couch and sitting him down. After sitting beside him, he pulled Alec close, who in turn completely slumped against Magnus’ side, leaning into the hug.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think she’d come and check up on what she left me eventually. I really thought she’d just leave it alone,” Magnus could barely hear the mumbled words coming out of Alec’s mouth, and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his head, partly to be able to hear better, “But of course she wouldn’t. Of course she wants to make sure I’m not ruining her legacy.”  
“Hey, hey. Darling, you’re doing amazing things here. Even the Shadowhunters have been realizing how much you’ve improved the Downworld community in the past 80 years. She’d be a fool to not see what good you’ve achieved,” Magnus gave him a reassuring smile, before standing up, “Now, I’m going to make you a cup of tea, and we’re gonna relax, okay?”

. 

When Alec woke up, a warm, comforting body was pressed up against him, hot breath on his neck. He struggled to recall what had happened before he fell asleep, pushing through the grogginess. He vaguely remembered tea being drank, before the two dissolved into cuddling on the couch. 

Magnus was still sound asleep, his makeup now smudged around his eyes and his hair slightly mussed. Alec couldn’t help but think about how lovely he looked, how peaceful. He’d only seen Magnus asleep a handful of times now, but each time he felt like his breath was being stolen from him.

With Magnus in his arms, their bodies pressed up against each other and fitting together like puzzle pieces, Alec couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing out on this all the centuries he denied himself feelings for anyone around him. Decades spent fearing the consequences of loving another man made him lonely and closed off, but suddenly this one man, this one _Shadowhunter_ burst into his life and changed everything within a matter of weeks. All he wanted to do now was let down his walls completely and let Magnus in, throwing caution to the wind.

The warlock was pulled from his thoughts by the other man shifting in his sleep, a small, contented sound coming from his mouth. Alec’s breath hitched in his throat, warm affection filling his entire body. All he wanted to do was pull Magnus up and out of his sleep, and crush him into a kiss.

That simple desire brought Alec back to hours earlier, to their almost kiss, and let his mind wander. He wondered how Magnus’ lips would feel against his, if he’d feel the fabled fireworks, or if it would be awkward and clumsy but still full of charm and love. He felt his cheeks heat up, and, knowing he was definitely and embarrassing shade of red, was incredibly glad Magnus didn’t wake up. He shook his head before adjusting so they were a little more comfortable, and tried to fall asleep again, needing an escape from his embarrassing thoughts.

.

When the two finally woke up, early sunlight was streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse apartment Alec was staying in, both of them a little sore from sleeping on the couch all night but equally embarrassed and happy about the position they were in. Magnus peeked up at Alec, his mouth open to speak, but he found he couldn’t. Alec was smiling down at him, the sunlight bringing out the green and gold in his hazel eyes, which were full of just pure affection and happiness. 

Magnus sat up a bit, taking a deep breath, before leaning in and pressing his lips to Alec’s. He felt the warlock stiffen for a moment and wondered if he was making the wrong decision, but just as he was about to pull away, Alec absolutely _melted_. He wrapped his arms around Magnus’ waist, pulling him as close as he possibly could. The Shadowhunter’s arms quickly wound around Alec’s neck, a small sigh escaping between kisses. 

The two pulled back for a second, staring at each other with huge, goofy grins on their faces, before crashing back into each other into a numbingly intense kiss. Magnus felt like static electricity was stinging all over his face, little sparks flying off as the two moved against each other. Unsettlingly, though, Valentine Morgenstern’s words rang in the back of his head.

The Head of the New York Institute was kind to Magnus when he first came there at 18, and he was really the first person to show genuine love for who he was with. When Magnus had asked him about how he knew Jocelyn was the one for him, he simply said, “When I kissed her for the first time, I truly knew that she was my one, the only one I’d ever love. As a species, we only find that once, and I promise you, my boy, you’ll know instantly.”

And Magnus knew now. He knew that Alec was the one Valentine was talking about. And the thought was terrifying. Doubts swirled through his head, making him second guess everything. What if Alec regretted it? What if he changed his mind? What if he never actually felt the same way?

Magnus was pulled out of his doubts, though, when Alec finally pulled away from him, gasping for breath. His face was glowing, his hair slightly mussed and his pupils blown wide. The grin on his face spread basically from ear to ear, and his pointed canines glinted in the sunlight. Alec may be part-demon, but right now, Magnus thought he looked perfectly angelic. And he definitely didn’t even mind if things went awry between them, because he got this, here and now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday everyone! I hope this chapter clears up a little more of Alec's backstory, this one's been my favorite one to write so far!  
(Yes it's completely indulgent but Magnus is the one who took one look at Alec and within only knowing him a couple days decided to crash his wedding cause he was already whipped in canon so I don't want to hear anything about them moving too fast)


	5. October 27th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she finally blinked, her eyes opened as rich, golden lions eyes, and suddenly, Magnus felt like prey. Her teeth bared, a hand raised to cast something, when suddenly, Alec’s voice carried from the kitchen, “Magnus, hun, who is it?”  
Usually, Magnus would’ve been elated to hear the petname, but the sorceress who was posed, ready to kill him, kind of ruined the mood. He called back, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady, “I think it’s your mother, darling!”

**Chapter Five: October 27th**

After an embarrassingly long time spent draped over each other on the couch, Alec eventually insisted on getting up to make breakfast, pushing Magnus back down on so he wouldn’t try and help. The Shadowhunter was currently sitting with his back against the arm of the couch, staring at a mirror across the room. His face was still flushed, and if he tilted his head, he could see small, red marks surrounding the Surefooted Rune that creeped up the side of his neck. The sight made him grin wide, ignoring the fact that Catarina, Clary, and Simon would definitely be questioning him about this thoroughly later. 

What broke him from appreciating Alec’s work was a sharp knock at the door, the break in the silence making Magnus jump slightly. He stood up, padding to the doorway of the kitchen, where Alec was hovering over the stove, looking equally confused about the sudden visitor.

“Were you expecting someone, Alexander?” Magnus furrowed his brow at the other man, gesturing towards his pile of gear located near the couch, “Should I…?”  
Alec shook his head, shrugging, “If they got through the wards, it’s probably just Jace or Izzy. Would you go let them in? I don’t want this to burn.”

With a nod, Magnus was heading to the front door, trying to relax and get rid of the anxiety coursing through his body. _It’s probably just Jace or Izzy, stop worrying,_ he reminded himself, shaking his head and laughing a little at how ridiculous he was acting.

When he opened the door, he realized that he was definitely right to be nervous. The figure on the other side was neither the fair-haired mundane, or the gorgeous warlock he’d met a couple times in passing. The woman in front of him had tanned skin, deep brown eyes, and long, straight black hair, and stood just a couple inches shorter than Magnus. Her eyes, unnerving and unblinking, zeroed in on the visible runes on his neck and arms, and then fixated on the small, red marks scattered around his neck. 

When she finally blinked, her eyes opened as rich, golden lions eyes, and suddenly, Magnus felt like prey. Her teeth bared, a hand raised to cast something, when suddenly, Alec’s voice carried from the kitchen, “Magnus, hun, who is it?”  
Usually, Magnus would’ve been elated to hear the petname, but the sorceress who was posed, ready to kill him, kind of ruined the mood. He called back, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady, “I think it’s your mother, darling!”

.

Magnus was subsequently kicked out of the apartment by Maryse Lightwood, claiming she needed to have a chat with her son away from the prying ears of the Clave. So sadly, and abnormally, the Shadowhunter was now walking through New York by himself, definitely not moping about it as he went. 

An alert went off on his phone just as he was walking up the steps of the Institute, signaling that he was needed in the Ops Centre for a briefing. That easily made him pick up his pace, now jogging up the steps and in through the doors. Shadowhunters were filing into the Ops Centre, where Valentine and his wife, Jocelyn, were standing proudly at the top of the steps. Magnus snaked his way to the front, sliding in between Catarina and Clary, who looked as confused as he was.

“Anyone know what’s going on?” Magnus whispered to his companions, cocking a brow at his parabatai, who shrugged.  
“We have no idea,” Cat almost said something else, but her eyes met the marks on Magnus’ neck and bugged wide, making her poke one quite aggressively, “We’re talking about that later. I knew you were happier, I just didn’t know why.”  
Their hushed conversation was cut off by Valentine’s voice booming through the Ops Centre, startling them all into silence, “My fellow Shadowhunters!” He started off, a wide grin adorning his face, “I have some incredibly important news to share with you all. For the first time in 20 years, I’m moving positions. I’ve been invited to Alicante, to work as the Consul.” He paused for gasps and claps, beaming with pride before continuing, “And in lieu of this, I am appointing a new Head of this Institute.”

Magnus and Catarina both swiveled their heads towards Clary, who looked just as confused as they felt. When Magnus turned his head back to Valentine, he was staring right back at him, that same prideful grin on his face.

“I’ve decided, with the help of Inquisitor Santiago and the Head of the London Institute, Ragnor Fell, that Mr. Bane would be the most suitable candidate for the position,” As soon as the words left Valentine’s mouth, Magnus felt every single pair of eyes in the Institute swivel towards him, and they felt like they were burning holes into his body. For the first time practically ever, Magnus wanted to be out of the spotlight, and away from this entire meeting.

Valentine quickly dismissed the crowd, and Magnus pounced on him instantly, “I’m sorry sir, there has to be some kind of mistake. Shouldn’t Clary be the one taking over the Institute if you’re leaving?”  
The older man chuckled, clapping a hand onto Magnus’ shoulder, jolting him a bit, “Magnus, there’s been no mistake. Clary’s only freshly 18, she’s barely an adult. You’ve been around longer, and I trust you with this Institute. Your friend, Ragnor, also put in a good word for you,” Valentine winked, and turned away, leaving Magnus speechless, “You’ll have a couple weeks of preparation with me before I leave, starting tomorrow!”

.

_“I think it’s your mother, darling!”_

The words rang through Alec’s head as he sat on his couch, facing Maryse in silence. Her face was a mask of complete composure, but Alec could practically feel the anger radiating off of her. He knew why she was upset, and it almost made him feel guilty. All his life, his mother told him to stay away from Shadowhunters. They were dangerous, liars, and they killed Downworlders like the Lightwoods for sport. And here he was, letting one into his home, _kissing_ one- and a boy, at that. Alec felt the nausea rise in his stomach.

“So uh- Now might be a good time to tell you,” He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m gay.”  
“Alexander Gideon Lightwood, I am so disappointed in you,” Maryse acted like he hadn’t spoken, pinching the bridge of her nose, “You let a filthy Nephilim get to you, even after I’ve spent _centuries_ warning you about them. They’re _murderers,_ Alec! Cold-blooded killers!” She stood, waving her hands in the air, “What do you think happens when he tells the rest of them at his Institute about your _relationship_-” She said the word like she was saying something much fouler, like _affair_, “And they derune him and show up to kill you?”  
With each word, Alec winced, lifting his hands defensively, “But mother he’s- He wouldn’t-”  
“They’re all exactly the same, Alec!” She cut him off harshly, but turned towards him, her gaze suddenly softened, “If anything happened to you, or Isabelle, or Max, or Jace…. Alec, the thought makes me sick. I can’t be here all the time to keep you safe, and you’re grown now, so I need you to make good choices, and I need you to keep yourself safe, no matter what.”

Alec wilted instantly, dropping his head into his hands. Her words seared into his brain, almost giving him a migraine. He thought about Magnus, his kind words and touches, his gentle teasing, the way he felt pressed up against Alec, and shook his head. This time, she was wrong, she had to be. 

“No, mother, I’m sorry but Magnus is different. He’s not like the Shadowhunters you’ve been around, I promise. If you’d just take the time to get to know him-”  
“_No_,” Maryse cut him off again, glaring and furious, “I will not _get to know_ a _Shadowhunter_, not for your selfish gain.”

And then she was gone, stalking out the door with her coat draped over her arm. Alec flinched at the loud slamming of the door, and was once again completely alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little short and for that I apologize, but it's really just a set up for more things to come! The next chapter should be a bit longer than usual!
> 
> Also, this week will be the last week I update on both Wednesday and Friday, sadly. I head off to college next week and the time I'll have to write is going to be cut down dramatically.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. October 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunter’s Moon was a small, hole in the wall bar in Hester Street, in a part of Manhattan Magnus didn’t usually frequent. He definitely would’ve gotten lost if Simon and Clary hadn’t practically escorted him, both squealing about finally getting to see him and also his date for the night. Neither of the other Shadowhunters had really ever met Alec, and had only seen him very briefly at the Pandemonium on the night they first met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a quick note, there is mentions of death in the latter parts of this chapter!

**Chapter Six: October 30th**

Due to the commotion of the past couple days, Alec and Magnus hadn’t talked much. Magnus had been dragged into nonstop preparation to become the Head of the Institute, and Alec had been dealing with his mother and spending time with his family. Even while being busy, though, they’d made an attempt to text a couple times a day, at least to say good morning and good night. But it was finally the day of Simon’s show at the Hunter’s Moon, and Alec couldn’t be more simultaneously excited and nervous. 

He was just as jittery as he was the first time Magnus had come over after he’d healed him, feeling like no outfit was good enough for a date with someone like Magnus Bane. And unfortunately, that led to him calling Jace and Izzy over, who were currently digging through Alec’s closet, throwing his clothes everywhere.

“Could you two make any less of a mess?” He groaned from his spot on the bed, flopping back onto the blue pillows.  
“No, Alec, we can’t! We’ve searched your entire closet and you have zero color in here! Do you seriously only wear black and grey?” Izzy swivelled around to look at him, a hand on her hip and an irritated look on her face.  
“Don’t shame me, Izzy, it’s what’s comfortable,” Alec frowned, rolling his eyes at her teasing.  
“Well, you need to find some colors that would look good on you, your closet is so boring,” She rolled her eyes right back, “Now get up, we’re gonna do some quick shopping.”

Once he was up and standing, Jace took his seat on the bed, and Izzy started taking his measurements with a measuring tape she’d conjured up. And with a quick snap of her fingers, Alec was now dressed in black skinny jeans, black dress shoes, and a bright yellow shirt. He looked at Izzy, both of them making the exact same disgusted facial expression. She shook her head and snapped again, changing him into another, equally bright outfit. It took a few more tries before she gave up on the bright colors and went to some more muted tones. The final outfit he ended up in was a soft, olive green button up, nice, black pants, and the black dress shoes from before.

Just as Alec was about to thank Izzy, she was suddenly in his face, her hands raking through his hair in an attempt to tame it away from his forehead. After several fruitless attempts, pained yelps, and cackles from Jace, she finally gave up, sighing dramatically when it just fell back into his face. 

“Well, thank you Izzy, I think you’ve done your job,” Alec groaned again, rubbing the top of his head to relieve some of the soreness from her yanking at his hair, “I think I need to be leaving now.”  
“Ugh, fine. Eventually, though, we’re gonna fix that hair of yours, I swear on it,” She huffed, snapping her fingers and putting the room back into place. She smiled, then, and hugged him tight, “I am happy for you though, big brother. Good luck tonight.”

And then she was gone, strutting out of Alec’s apartment and presumably back to the Pandemonium. Alec had dragged her out of the club for this specifically. Well, not really dragging since she wouldn’t want to miss this for anything. 

“Okay, you ready to go? We have to be there at seven right?” Jace hopped up from the bed, straightening his jacket and heading for the door.  
“We? You aren’t coming,” Alec cocked a brow, crossing his arms.  
Jace just grinned at him, shrugging, “Actually, I am. There’s nothing to do tonight and I’d prefer seeing some dork embarrass himself on stage while drinking than just staying at home and risking a visit from mom.”  
Alec rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair, “Fine, but you’re staying on the opposite end of the bar than Magnus and I, got it?”  
Jace grinned again, looking almost malicious with how wide it was, “Got it!”

.

The Hunter’s Moon was a small, hole in the wall bar in Hester Street, in a part of Manhattan Magnus didn’t usually frequent. He definitely would’ve gotten lost if Simon and Clary hadn’t practically escorted him, both squealing about finally getting to see him and also his date for the night. Neither of the other Shadowhunters had really ever met Alec, and had only seen him very briefly at the Pandemonium on the night they first met.

They’d agreed to meet at seven, an hour before Simon’s set was supposed to start. So when Magnus spotted Alec and, unfortunately, Jace, outside of the bar at 6:50, he was a little surprised. He trotted up to the warlock with his friends in tow, greeting him with a smile and a quick kiss.

“You’re early, darling! And….” Magnus peeked behind Alec at Jace, who was staring down Simon with a peculiar look on his face, “You aren’t alone?”  
Alec gave him a guilty smile, his hand slipping into Magnus’ quickly, “I’m sorry, he forced me to let him come, but he promised he’d let us be alone.”  
Magnus squeezed his hand, shaking his head, “No matter, seems like he’ll be busy anyways.”

Magnus turned his head to look at Simon and Clary, the former flushed a bright red as he met Jace’s gaze and the latter giggling and nudging her parabatai like a little school girl. He turned back to Alec and smiled again, pulling him into the bar and away from their friends, ignoring the protests from Clary. Once they were safely inside, Magnus turned and wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck, leaning up to kiss him.

“I missed you….” The words were half mumbled against the warlock’s lips, smiling a bit as Alec’s arms tightened around his waist.  
“I missed you too, I’m sorry my mother kicked you out the other day,” Alec pulled away hesitantly, a blush spread across his face as he spoke, looking a tad guilty.  
“No, don’t apologize, I understand where she’s coming from,” Magnus smiled reassuringly, reaching a hand up to cup the warlock’s cheek.

Alec leaned into the touch, making a soft, contented noise. Magnus’ heart swelled at the sight, a lovestruck grin creeping onto his face. He surged in for another kiss, before pulling Alec towards the bar. 

After ordering drinks, the two slid onto barstools, letting their knees touch as they enjoyed each other’s company. Magnus relished in the faces Alec made each time he took a sip of his drink, giggling a little bit over the 400 year old warlock grimacing at the taste of alcohol. They spent the time chatting back and forth, catching up on the days they hadn’t seen each other. Alec was unable to stop congratulating Magnus over becoming head of the Institute, pride visible in his grin as he looked at the Shadowhunter.

Soon enough, Simon’s voice echoed over the speakers, the pair turning towards the stage instantly. The Shadowhunter on stage was grinning out at the crowd, sitting on a stool with his sound equipment laid out in front of him. He said a couple opening remarks, thanking everyone for coming out, etc, before launching into his first song, soft guitar flooding the bar.

Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand and leaned his head against his shoulder, humming along to the song he’d heard a thousand times now. Simon practiced relentlessly in the Institute, and begged Clary and Magnus to give him feedback on everything every other day. And it had all paid off, he sounded wonderful. After a couple songs, Magnus sat back up and ordered another drink for himself, before turning back to Alec.

“So, darling, I’ve been thinking,” He smiled, grabbing Alec’s hand again, “You should come to the Institute for dinner eventually, I know a whole lot of people there are curious about meeting you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Magnus regretted it. Alec completely tensed up, his face souring with panic and anger. Before he knew it, the warlock was standing and walking out of the bar. Magnus, now in a state of panic himself, tossed some bills onto the bar before running after the other man. The idea that he’d spoken so thoughtlessly and then upset Alec freaked him out more than anything.

As soon as he burst out into the cool, fall air, his lungs stinging at the sudden change in temperature, he yelled out for the man who was quickly walking away from him, “Alec! Alexander! Please, just come back and talk to me! What did I do?”  
Alec paused, turned, and sure enough, did come back to Magnus, shaking his head, “You _told_ your entire Institute about me? About _this_?” He gestured between the two of them, and Magnus definitely got the sense that he thought it was a bad thing.

Everything felt like too much, the bright street lights over head, the cold air shredding through his body, the music pouring out into the street from inside the bar. He could clearly hear Simon’s voice flowing around him, somehow making him feel worse.

_My regrets are a chain around my neck, you know_  
_It’s torturous how some burdens that I can’t let go._

“I…. What the hell has come over you? You talk to your siblings about me, go on a public date with me, but now all the sudden you’re ashamed of our relationship?” He spit out his words, anger flooding through his veins very suddenly, “What is _wrong_ with you Alec?”

_I’m alone, isolated with my problems, I know_  
_It’s melancholic as the nightmares cry like a song._

The warlock snarled, baring his teeth and shaking his head furiously, “Your people are _killers_ Magnus, I don’t want to end up like every other poor Downworlder they’ve killed for sport.”

The words pierced the Shadowhunter’s skin like knives, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he couldn’t even find the words to say. Alec’s shocking change in behavior stunned him beyond belief, and all he could do was watch as the man he cared about so much stalked away from him, with no intention of looking back. 

_Royal blue, royal blue, royal blue, ooh, ooh, ooh_  
_Here I have fallen._

.

Maryse’s words ran on repeat through Alec’s mind as he walked home. _They’re murderers! Cold-blooded killers. They’re all the same_. He knew the way he’d treated Magnus was beyond unfair, but the idea of the whole New York Institute knowing about their relationship terrified him. There’s no way in hell there isn’t dozens of Shadowhunters who would kill the both of them for being in a gay relationship, let alone between a Nephilim and a warlock. 

He tried to rationalize how he’d treated Magnus, and convinced himself it was better if the both of them just stayed away from each other. The thought made him want to vomit, but the more he chanted it to himself the more tolerable it became.

Alec was so caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn’t see the huge object on his doorstep. He quickly realized that it wasn’t an object, but a body. He could barely make a snarky comment to himself about the influx of bodies waiting for him on his doorstep, before he realized that once again, he knows this one. Cropped blonde hair, shorter, stocky build, and a leather jacket. _Jace_. Jace was dead.

The panic that welled up inside of his stomach was more intense than anything he’d ever felt in his life, followed by crashing grief and confusion. The last time he’d seen his brother was when the mundane was in the front row for the show, staring up at Simon like he’d seen the sun for the first time. And now, he was limp on the pavement, his skin a sickening pale, his lips turning blue with cold and death. Alec turned away quickly to vomit, retching a couple times before going back to his brother. 

This time, he noticed the piece of paper tucked underneath Jace’s jacket. He plucked it up, hands trembling as he took in the blood red ink on the page.

_Hello, Mr. Lightwood! As you can see, I have quite the gift for you tonight. The poor thing was wandering around The Hunter’s Moon like a lovesick puppy, and was too distracted to even put up a fight. Hopefully, it won’t be too much of a loss if he doesn’t wake up in the morning. I’d bury him, just to be safe!_  
_VA_

The initials at the bottom made Alec almost start retching again. Victor Aldertree was an incredibly powerful vampire, and was currently placed as the head of the Brooklyn clan, stationed in the Hotel Dumort. He was one of those who showed the most outrage when Alec became High Warlock and cracked down on dark magic in New York. Needless to say, they haven’t had the best relationship in the past 80 years.

Alec finally moved into action, then, feeling sluggish and slow as he picked up his brother. He started heading for the nearest church, his stomach still churning as he struggled to get his phone out while still carrying the other man. 

He’d meant to call Isabelle, or his mother, or literally anyone else, but the voice on the other end was enough to make him burst into tears, “What? What do you want Alec? To make me feel even worse?”  
Magnus sounded horrible, but Alec had no time to try and reconcile with the situation. He tried to choke out a couple words over his tears, and eventually got a sentence out, “M-Magnus…. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Jace is dead and I-“ he cut off, his words dissolving into sobs as he heard Magnus gasp.  
“What-what do you mean Jace is dead? What are you talking about?” The Shadowhunter’s voice was panicked and worried, and Alec could hear him moving around, presumably getting ready to leave already.  
“I-I got back to the apartment and-and he was on the doorstep and he’s _dead-_“ He choked off again, trying to compose himself, “I think he-he’s being turned into a vam-vampire.”  
Magnus cursed, and a small crash echoed from the other phone, “Okay, alright, are you going to bury him?”

Alec barely choked out a small ‘_yes_,’ before he had to quickly give Magnus the details of the church he was heading to and hung up, staggering down the street towards the looming cathedral at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m alive! I’m so sorry for disappearing out of nowhere the past two weeks, college has been a lot more stressful than I thought it’d be. But things are settling down now that I’m moved in and the first week of classes is over. So hopefully I’ll be going back to regular weekly updates!  
I’m posting this on Sunday because I finally had time to finish chapter six, and chapter seven will be released next Sunday, and so on! Sunday is the easiest day for me to get chapters out now due to my schedule, so I hope the new schedule works for everyone!  
Thank you for tuning in and happy reading!


	7. October 30th pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall in New York City, especially at night, was frigid. Cold wind nipped at noses and chilled to the bone. Magnus had quickly discovered that it becomes much worse during panicked sprinting. Currently, he was weaving down the streets of the city, medical bags of a red substance he’d rather not think about having tucked into his jacket. The church Alec had told him to meet him at began to come into view, looming high and dark against the black sky. For years now, cathedrals of this sort had filled Magnus with comfort, knowing either companionship or protection would be waiting there, but now, this particular church caused a surge of dread to pool in his gut, due to knowing exactly what was waiting there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions death quite heavily, please read carefully!

**Chapter Seven: October 30th**

Fall in New York City, especially at night, was frigid. Cold wind nipped at noses and chilled to the bone. Magnus had quickly discovered that it becomes much worse during panicked sprinting. Currently, he was weaving down the streets of the city, medical bags of a red substance he’d rather not think about having tucked into his jacket. The church Alec had told him to meet him at began to come into view, looming high and dark against the black sky. For years now, cathedrals of this sort had filled Magnus with comfort, knowing either companionship or protection would be waiting there, but now, this particular church caused a surge of dread to pool in his gut, due to knowing exactly what was waiting there for him.

Shaking off his uneasy feelings, he trudged on toward the basilica, almost freezing when Alec came into view. Selfishly, he could only think about the cruel words the warlock had spoken to him only an hour or two prior, that is, until Alec turned towards him. Magnus took in the view, Jace, motionless on the ground next to a pre-dug grave, the shovel and a pile of dirt nearby. Alec had obviously dug the grave by hand, a smear of dirt across his cheek, his hands raw and limp at his sides. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, and red marks streaked down his face from the tears. When those hazel eyes Magnus loved so much met his own, they filled with fresh tears, a sob catching in the back of the warlock’s throat.

“M-Magnus, you came….” Alec took a step towards the Shadowhunter before pausing, unsure of what to do next, “I- God, I don’t even-even know what to say.”  
“An apology and a thanks are due, but that needs to wait,” Magnus stepped up to Alec, gently resting a hand on his arm. He wasn’t fully forgiving of what had occurred earlier, but that could be postponed, “Let’s get this over with. Did you call your sister and your mother?”  
Alec’s eyes widened with realization, shaking his head slowly, “I-I didn’t even think of it….”  
Magnus takes a breath, nodding before pulling the blood bags from his jacket and pressing them into Alec’s hands, “Give me your phone, I’ll call your sister. You need to get him in the ground.”

Alec obeys, but Magnus can’t help but notice the motions were practically mechanical, like he wasn’t truly there in his body. When the warlock turned away from him to slowly move Jace into the grave he’d dug, Magnus opens the contacts in the phone and scrolls until he finds the name ‘Izzy.’

The sorceress picks up on the first ring, her voice carrying over the phone with a light echo, “Alec! How’s your date going? Have you taken him back home yet?”  
Under other circumstances, Magnus would have laughed at the teasing intended for his…. Whatever Alec was, but currently all he could do was speak solemnly, “I’m sorry to disappoint you Isabelle, but the date turned for the worse. Something horrible has happened.”

After a brief conversation with the middle Lightwood child, Isabelle, Maryse and Max seemed to be on their way to help with everything. Alec was currently sitting on the ground, next to the grave he had dug, looking down at Jace’s lifeless body inside. Magnus crouched down next to the warlock, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Your sister is portalling your mother and your brother here now,” Magnus’ voice was barely a whisper, as if he didn’t want to disturb the near silence of the graveyard, “I should probably get goin-”  
The Shadowhunter was cut off by Alec, his voice sharp and pleading as new tears welled in his eyes, “No! I-I mean, no, please don’t-please don’t leave. I need you.”  
Magnus inhaled sharply, blinking rapidly in surprise. After the shock of Alec’s demand wore off, he nodded, sitting next to the other man, “Okay. I’ll stay.”

Alec looked at Magnus with wide, terrified eyes, like a child’s, his lower lip trembling as he surged forward, pulling the Shadowhunter into a tight hug, his body wracked with sobs. Magnus’ arms slowly wrapped around the warlock, a hand going up to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck softly. His eyes closed as he pressed his face into Alec’s shoulder, the sound of a portal opening behind him almost completely drowned out by the anguished cries that were pouring into his shoulder. 

“Alec! Magnus!” His sister’s voice caused the warlock to pull his face from Magnus’ shoulder, but Alec’s hold on the Shadowhunter didn’t lessen. Thin, strong arms wrapped around the two of them as Isabell joined the hug, her own body shaking slightly with tears, and Magnus quickly used one of his arms to pull the other warlock closer. Out of the corner of his eye, the Shadowhunter could see Maryse Lightwood, who had once been a pillar of strength and terror in front of him, collapse to the ground by her adopted son’s grave, her face a mask of anguish and sorrow. A boy, who looked to be about 17, stood beside her, a hand on her shoulder as tears streamed down his face behind his glasses.

Magnus pressed a kiss to the foreheads of the two, sobbing siblings in front of him, before pulling away and pulling them to their feet, “Come on, darlings, it’s time.”

Alec and Izzy nodded, hugging each other once before moving to their mother and younger brother, the four Lightwoods exchanging hugs before Alec moved for the shovel, his entire body continuing to shake with sobs as he went to dump the first portion of dirt over his brother’s body. He didn’t stop crying until the pit was full, and Magnus expected him to go straight to his family, but once again, the warlock surprised him. Alec headed directly for Magnus, sweeping him up into a bone-crushing hug before pressing a kiss to his lips.

When he pulled away, his voice was barely a whisper, “Thank you-thank you for staying. I’m sorry for what I said earlier, my mother just got in my head.”  
Magnus’ own eyes teared up a bit, before he leaned up to kiss Alec again, “It’s okay, my love, I forgive you. I forgive you.”

The warlock surged down again to hug him, and there they stood, holding each other for several moments. Over Alec’s shoulder, Magnus could see Maryse staring him down with a peculiar look in her eyes. It wasn’t the pure, unadulterated hatred that was in her eyes the first time he’d seen her, but instead a softer expression. Something more grateful and understanding.

After an eternity spent holding the man he cared about most in the world, Magnus was jolted back to Earth by the sound of scrabbling beneath the dirt. Alec whipped around, and the five of them present hurried to the grave, Magnus gingerly picking up the bloodbags he’d brought, ready to hand them over to the young vampire that was about to emerge. Jace’s hands bursting from the ground caused all of the Lightwoods, aside from Alec, to step back a bit. The eldest stood strong, waiting expectantly for his brother to climb out.

When Jace managed to pull the entirety of his body out of the ground, his breaths coming out in pants and growls, Magnus crouched down and held the first bag out, which was greedily snatched from his hand. The vampire ripped it open with his teeth, blood splashing out into his mouth and down his shirt, and all three of the warlocks looked away, another sob bursting from Izzy’s mouth. Alec sat down beside Magnus’ crouching form, simultaneously looking as if he was going to vomit and pass out. The Shadowhunter tossed out the remaining two bags he’d brought before pulling Alec in, holding his shaking form tightly.

.

Isabelle had agreed to take Jace back to her place and watch over him until he was a little more stable, claiming that since Alec had done almost everything tonight he should be able to go home and rest. Magnus, of course, had agreed, dragging Alec away from his attempts to reject Izzy’s help. Currently, the warlock was seated on his own couch, curled up like a small child as Magnus made hot chocolate in the kitchen. His body felt weak and worn out, partially from crying and partially from the physical exertion of digging and filling a grave. His head was pounding and his heart hurt more than it ever had in his life. Alec had seen mundanes pass all around him for centuries, but having a brother torn away from him so young was a different kind of pain.

Magnus walked back into the room with two mugs of hot chocolate, massive swirls of whipped cream placed gingerly on top. He looked so, so tired, and Alec knew it was his fault. He’d treated this wonderful man so terribly and yet, he stayed with Alec and helped him through a horrible, traumatic thing. He felt his eyes tear up again as he looked up at Magnus, who in turn hurried over and set the mugs down, sitting beside the warlock quickly and pulling him close.

“Alexander, sweetheart, it’s okay, everything’s gonna be okay,” His voice sounded like honey to Alec, who began blinking away the tears quickly.  
“I’m so-I’m so sorry Magnus. I should never have treated you that way,” Alec could hear his voice shaking, and the Shadowhunter’s fingers moved up to brush through his hair.  
“I wish you hadn’t spoken to me like that, but I understand. Family has a strong pull on how we feel,” Magnus smiled at him, the kindness in his eyes knocking the breath out of Alec’s chest.

Before he could do anything else, Magnus maneuvered the two of them so that Alec was sitting in front of him, and reached out to place one of the mugs of hot chocolate in the warlock’s hands. And then Magnus’ fingers were combing through the feathers coating his wings, straightening them out gently and singing softly under his breath.

_I'll untie you_  
_From the strings caught in your wings_  
_And I'll try to fill in the gaps, all of the cracks_  
_They left behind_

The song eased the pain coursing through Alec’s heart, slowing his breathing and bringing calm to his body again. His aching body started to relax as he melted into Magnus’ touch, his eyes drooping. After he finished his hot chocolate, he leaned into the other man, getting comfortable. Quickly, however, Magnus pulled him up from the couch with a small chuckle, kissing away the groan of protest escaping Alec’s lips. 

The Shadowhunter led him back into his room, pushing Alec under the covers and pulling them over him. He turned to leave, and instinctively, the warlock’s hand shot out to grab Magnus’ wrist, panic washing over him.

“Wait! Please…. Please stay, Magnus,” Alec couldn’t help but feel embarrassed over how childish he sounds, his face flushing a bright red.  
The shocked expression that was briefly on the Shadowhunter’s face quickly melted into pure, genuine affection and happiness, “Oh…. Well, if you really want me to.”

Magnus quickly walked around the other side of the bed, climbing under the blankets and curling up next to Alec, who, in turn, wrapped his arms around the other man and pulled him close. After seeing a brief face of disgust on Magnus’ face as he looked at both of their clothes, the warlock snapped his fingers, both of them instantly in comfortable pajamas, Alec without a shirt. The pair were also clean now, no sweat or dirt to be seen, and the Shadowhunter instantly looked more comfortable. 

Magnus smirked up at Alec, tracing a finger down his chest and his voice a soft purr, “Careful, Alexander, a man could get used to this.”  
The warlock chuckled, shaking his head, “Luckily, you’re allowed to.”

Magnus beamed up at him, and pulled himself even closer, his face pressed to Alec’s chest. The warlock felt completely content and happy for a moment, before thoughts about the nights event crept into the back of his mind. He closed his eyes, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

“In the back of my mind, I’m glad this happened. In a fucked up way, I’m just happy I won’t have to watch him die.”

He felt the Shadowhunter move against him, holding him closely as the rest of the tears he could manage poured from his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter.... boy, this one took a lot out of me. This one genuinely made me cry to write a little, solely because Alec Lightwood is literally my favorite character from anything ever and I hate seeing him upset. But it can only go up from here!  
Also, I have a new Shadowhunters twitter that I’m attempting to be more active on! It’s @EVERDURlNG (the i is a lowercase L!)  
Thank you for reading, I'll see you next Sunday!


	8. October 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec slowly woke from his sleep to the sound of soft music playing through his apartment, and the smell of pancakes wafting into his room. His whole body was sore, and the tracks down his face from the previous night’s tears stung as the cold air in his bedroom caressed his face. A groan slipped from his lips as he struggled into a sitting position, his eyes refusing to open all the way. The exhaustion was heavy on his limbs like weights, attempting to pull him back down into the waters of sleep. Before he could succumb, though, a figure entered his room, practically glowing in the sunlight streaming through the window.

**Chapter Eight: October 31st**

Alec slowly woke from his sleep to the sound of soft music playing through his apartment, and the smell of pancakes wafting into his room. His whole body was sore, and the tracks down his face from the previous night’s tears stung as the cold air in his bedroom caressed his face. A groan slipped from his lips as he struggled into a sitting position, his eyes refusing to open all the way. The exhaustion was heavy on his limbs like weights, attempting to pull him back down into the waters of sleep. Before he could succumb, though, a figure entered his room, practically glowing in the sunlight streaming through the window.

Magnus grinned at him, a tray in his arms littered with various breakfast foods, “Perfect timing, my darling, I thought I’d have to wake you up for breakfast.”  
Alec, who’s mind was still fuzzy with grogginess, furrowed his brows up at the other man, attempting to keep his eyes open as best as he could, “What’s all this about?”  
The Shadowhunter leaned down and kissed his cheek, chuckling as Alec leaned into it, and placed the tray in his lap, “I wanted to do something nice for you, it’s my responsibility to take care of you, boyfriend,” He clambered onto the bed, sitting in front of the warlock before picking up a strawberry from the tray and holding it in front of Alec’s mouth, “Open.”  
Alec obeyed instantly, chewing and swallowing the berry before speaking, “Boyfriend?”  
Magnus instantly turned red, stammering and stuttering out a reply, “I-I mean, I know we didn’t really talk about it, but-but I just thought that that’s what was happening. It’s fine if not though!”  
Alec, relishing in the blushing, embarrassed state he put Magnus in, quickly captured the other man’s lips with his own, sighing happily when Magnus melted into the kiss, “I’m all for boyfriends,” He smirked at the Shadowhunter when he pulled away, sure the impossible fondness he felt in his heart was plastered all over his face.

Magnus pulled him back into another breathless, all consuming kiss with a huff of laughter, holding on to the warlock like his life depended on their lips being molded together. It was moments like this that Alec realized he’d never get used to the electricity that coursed through his body when he kissed Magnus, and he definitely didn’t want to. He found himself completely and utterly addicted to the way the Shadowhunter’s lips felt against his own, the soft sighs that escaped between kisses, Magnus’ skin underneath his roaming hands.

They stayed like that until Alec shifted, moving his kisses down the other man’s neck. He felt Magnus stiffen at the touches, his breathing getting slightly labored. As Alec let his teeth graze over a rune on the Shadowhunter’s neck, Magnus let out a soft moan that Alec wanted to hear over and over, before he was pushed away weakly. His boyfriend’s face was red, his eyes wide and blinking rapidly.

“Okay, okay, enough, darling. I went through all of this trouble to make you breakfast and you’re gonna eat it before you seduce me with those magical lips of yours,” Magnus chuckled, still getting his breathing back in order as he spoke.  
Alec groaned softly, pouting a little, “Well that’s not fair, you can’t just make me breakfast and come into my room looking like _that_ and tell me not to kiss you.”  
The Shadowhunter laughed again, a crystalline, clear sound that caused butterflies to erupt in Alec’s stomach, “Don’t worry, my love, I’ll kiss you as much as you want _after_ we eat. I’m starving.”

When the two of them were full, covered in syrup and sugar, and completely content, Alec quickly snapped his fingers and got rid of the dirty dishes, and pulled Magnus against his chest, who went willingly. The two of their bodies fit perfectly together, like puzzle pieces that were just waiting to find each other again. The Shadowhunter’s fingers traced shapes over Alec’s bare chest, making him shiver with the light touch. 

Their comfortable silence was disturbed by Magnus’ phone buzzing, making them both jump a little with surprise. They laughed for a second together over it, before Magnus dragged himself out of Alec’s embrace, and stood, answering with a quiet, “Hello Isabelle!”

Alec’s stomach dropped at the realization of who Magnus was talking to, his mind going back to the night before. He fell back into his pillows, covering his eyes with his hands. He was so happy this morning, and he shouldn’t have been. His brother had gotten turned into a vampire and had everything ripped away from him the night before and here he was, cuddling and laughing and eating homemade breakfast in bed. Ridiculous.

When the Shadowhunter sat back down on the bed, he pulled Alec’s hands from his face and smiled down at him pecking his nose, “That was Isabelle, she said that Jace is doing really well. He actually thinks it’s kind of cool.”  
The warlock couldn’t keep the laugh from bubbling out, shaking his head, “Of course he does. He’s ridiculous.”  
Magnus’ smile grew, lacing their fingers together, “He wants to see you today, he misses you.”

Alec took a deep breath, nodding. He knew Jace would want to see him eventually, he was just hoping he’d have some more time to prepare. He sat up slowly, kissing the Shadowhunter lightly. 

“Should we go now?” Alec cursed as his voice wavered. He felt like a scared, vulnerable child once again, and was tired of it.  
“If you’re ready. I don’t have any clothes though and I was hoping to stop by the Institute and grab some as well as quickly get a report in about Aldertree,” Alec had informed Magnus about the Head of the New York clan at some point the night before, and ever since Magnus had fumed at even the mention of his name.  
“That’s fine, let me get dressed and then we can portal over,” The warlock managed to drag himself up, stretching as he got out of bed.

Magnus made a small, somewhat indecent sound as Alec stretched, and he quickly shot him a look that clearly meant _‘behave.’_ The Shadowhunter snickered, standing in front of Alec and reaching up to kiss him. Alec’s arms quickly wound around him, melting into the kiss. He felt pathetic, surrendering his entire self whenever Magnus came near him, but the Shadowhunter’s lips against his made it incredibly hard to care.

When the two of them finally managed to pull away, both breathless and grinning, Alec untangled himself from Magnus’ arms and went to get dressed, jumping and yelping as the Shadowhunter definitely didn’t pinch his butt. He shot his boyfriend a glare before retreating into the closet to find something to wear. Once he was looking through his clothes, however, he realized the gravity of what was going to happen. He was about to go into the New York Institute for the first time in 80 years, as one of the Shadowhunters’ _boyfriend._

Before the panic could truly set in, he dressed himself in a nice, black button up, black jeans, and nice shoes. If he was going in to the mouth of the beast, he’d better look presentable. Alec knew the things Shadowhunters said about Downworlders, warlocks specifically, and felt a need nagging in the back of his mind to prove to them that warlocks were better than they thought. 

Taking a deep breath, he finally exited his bedroom to find Magnus on the couch, typing quickly on his phone. The way his face was crinkled with concentration filled Alec’s heart with fondness, making him smile wide. He took another deep breath, heading over to the back of the couch and kissing the top of Magnus’ head quickly.

“How do I look?” He spoke quietly, a little sheepish. Alec wanted, more than anything, his boyfriend’s approval.  
“Absolutely stunning, my love,” Magnus leaned up to pull Alec into a chaste kiss, before pulling back and standing up, “Are you ready to go then?”

Alec nodded, and held his hand out for Magnus to grab. Once he had, he waved his hand quickly, opening a portal. On the other side was the high walls of the Institute, grey and intimidating. Alec recalled the last time he’d been in front of the building, when Magnus had kissed his cheek and turned him into an embarrassed mess in front of Catarina. He was much less scared then than he was currently.

Magnus squeezes his hand, pulling him through the portal quickly. He turned towards the warlock, giving him a reassuring smile, “It’s gonna be okay, alright? Everyone’s going to love you.”  
“I hope you’re right, but I doubt they’ll love the idea of a warlock dating their new Head of The Institute,” Alec chuckled, trying to mask his nervousness.  
“Well then they can deal with it,” Magnus’ face hardened with determination, reaching up to kiss Alec gently.

The Shadowhunter quickly pulled Alec up the stairs to the Institute, ignoring the slight protests the warlock gave off. And before he knew it, the two of them were walking through the entrance way of the New York Institute, Magnus waving merrily to the Shadowhunters around him and ignoring the strange looks they were getting. 

Magnus only stopped walking once they reached a small room off of one of the corridors. Alec could immediately tell that this was Magnus’ room, due to the sparkling decorations, the makeup kit placed on the desk, and the colorful jacket slung over the desk chair. He looked around, taking in his entire environment. The room, at the same time, felt impersonal and so incredibly intimate. Magnus had seen Alec’s space so many times it was beginning to become his own, but Alec had never seen where Magnus actually lived and spent the majority of his time.

Alec was snapped out of his daze by Magnus pushing him to sit on the bed, suddenly a whirlwind moving around the small space. When the Shadowhunter settled, he was sitting at his desk, pouring over a report and writing as quickly as he could. Alec, not wanting to disturb Magnus’ work, simply looked around the room, taking in his surroundings and relaxing in the comfortable silence between them.

That comfortable silence didn’t last long though, a sharp knock on the door making the both of them jump out of their skins. Magnus shook his head, cursing under his breath at the sudden intrusion before heading to answer the door. As soon as the door was slightly open, whoever was on the other side shoved it open wide, bursting into the room.

_“Magnus Bane how many times am I going to have to tell you to check in with me when you’re gonna stay out all night!?”_ Catarina Loss’ voice was loud, shrill, and terrifying.  
“A-Ah! Hey Cat! What are-What are you doing here?” Magnus backed up quickly, knocking into the side of the bed and falling down next to Alec, his voice wavering.  
“I swear to the Angel, the next time you scare me like that, I’m gonna kill you!” Catarina raised a hand to swat Magnus’ shoulder, but she froze, making eye contact with Alec.  
“Cat, be nice, we have a guest,” Alec waved, a sheepish smile on his face as Magnus introduced him.

Catarina yanked Magnus out of the room and into the hallway, initiating a hushed conversation that Alec was just out of range to hear. After what felt like hours, she seemed to be satisfied with whatever Magnus was saying, and the two of them reentered the room, Magnus quickly returning to his report.

Catarina gave Alec a somewhat strained smile before reaching a hand out and speaking, “So you must be Alec! Magnus talks about you nonstop.”  
The warlock felt his face heat up quickly, hearing Magnus chuckle a little before taking the Shadowhunter’s hand to shake, “All good things I hope?”  
She laughed, shaking her head, “You have no idea. That boy worships the ground you walk on.”

Alec flushed deeper as Magnus stood up, seemingly just as flustered and embarrassed as Alec was now and pushed Catarina out of the room, calling out a swift goodbye as she waved to Alec with a mischievous smirk on her face. Magnus leaned against the door after closing it, covering his face with his hands. The warlock stood, crossing over to his boyfriend and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

“So you worship the ground I walk on, huh?” Alec teased into Magnus’ hair, pressing multiple kisses to the top of his head as the Shadowhunter tried to push away.  
“Y-You’re pretty alright I guess, darling,” Magnus gave up with a sigh, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist, “I need to finish that report so we can get out of here.”

After they reluctantly separated, Alec took back his spot on the bed, laying back to look at the ceiling as Magnus hurriedly went back to his work. Luckily, they weren’t interrupted again, and the Shadowhunter finished his report quickly. He ran out of the room to send it off, returning in record time. 

“Okay, now I just need to change and make myself look halfway presentable, and then we can leave, alright darling?” Magnus spoke through his heavy breathing, hurrying around his room to get ready.  
Alec laughed, nodding slowly, “Do you want me to leave so you can change?”  
Magnus stopped, looking over at him with a cocked brow, “You don’t have to, my love.”

Alec nodded, flushing again. His mouth dried at the thought of seeing Magnus changing, so he just kept his mouth shut. He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to keep his thoughts from wandering too much, but that was ruined as soon as he opened them again.

Magnus’ physique was that of a man who had obviously been training physically to fight for his whole life. His body was toned and as he pulled the pajamas off, Alec could see that as well as the swords and other weaponry Shadowhunters were equipped with, Magnus’ body was a lethal force as well. He took a deep breath, attempting to keep himself in check, all too aware of the heat pooling in his stomach. He closed his eyes again, not opening them until Magnus tapped him with a chuckle, ready to go.

.

Magnus could feel the tension and nerves Alec was giving off at his side as they looked up at Izzy’s apartment complex. The warlock’s hand was a vice around Magnus’, tight with the anxiety obviously coursing through him. The Shadowhunter did his best to give a reassuring squeeze, pulling him towards the building. 

The pair stopped again in front of Izzy’s door, Alec growing visibly more tense the closer they got. Magnus reached up to press a kiss to the warlock’s cheek, leaning his head against his shoulder afterwards, “It’s gonna be alright my dear, it’s okay.”  
Alec took a deep breath, nodding, before smiling nervously down at Magnus, “I know, I know. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

The Shadowhunter gave him a reassuring smile in return, before reaching out to knock on the door. Before he’d even finished knocking, though, the door had flung open and a blonde blur had flung itself against Alec, wrapping him up in thick arms. It took a second for Magnus to process that the blur was in fact Jace, and that he was laughing. Heartily and happily.

“Alec! I managed to get the cute singer’s number before he went on stage!” Jace’s smile was wide, sharp, white teeth glinting in the harsh fluorescents of the hallway.  
Alec, who seemed just as startled as Magnus felt, recovered quickly, punching Jace’s arm lightly, “You scared the shit out of me and what you’re worried about is some kid’s number?” The humor in his voice was evident, but the undertones of panic and the way his eyes glistened with tears showed how he truly felt.   
Jace pulled him into another tight, crushing hug, burying his face into Alec’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

The apology was barely audible to Magnus, but the warlock instantly let tears fall freely and openly with the words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, chapter 8 is finally finished! I know chapter 7 was rough to write and read for me, so I wanted to have this chapter be something more healing and happy! I hope you all enjoy, happy reading!


End file.
